Machinery for addressing envelopes



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G.-GLARK. MACHINERY FOR ADDRESSING ENVELOPES, &c. No. 531,021.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

m: unnms PETERS co PHOTO-LXTHO" wummsfon. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 SheetS Sheet 2.

G. CLARK. MACHINERY FOR ADDRESSING ENVELOPES, 6:0. No. 531,021. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

ms NORRIS vex-Ens co.. Pnomumm, wnsnmnrom n. o.

' (No Model.) I 3 Sh'eets Sheet 3. 0T. CLARK. MACHINERY FOR ADDRESSING ENVELOPES, &c. N0. 531,021.

Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

jnuenior EYERS ca. Pam-04.1mm, wasumcrrou, o. c.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE CLARK OF CARLISLE, ENGLAND.

MACHINERY FOR ADDRESSING ENVELOPES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,021, dated December 18, 1894.

' Application filed February 17. 1894. Serial No. 500,592. (No model.)

To aZZ' whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE OLARK,3. subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Oarlisle, county of Cumberland, England, have invented certain Improved Machinery for Addressing Envelopes,

Circulars, and Similar Papers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new or improved machinery for addressing envelopes, circulars and papers applicable also to other and similar purposes and is designed for use in cases where numbers of 1etters,-circulars, &c., are frequently sent to the same addresses and in analogous cases, to facilitate such work by the substitution of machinery specially adapted for the purpose in lieu of ordinary clerks Work.

I will proceed at once to fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows 'a'general side view of the machine partly in elevationalview and partly in sectional elevational view, Fig. 2 being a plan view'of the same. "Fig. 3 shows avertical transverse section of the machine on line a, 1:, w, w, y, .2. Fig. 4; is a cross section of a type-plate carrying-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a cross section of a tumbler,Fig. 6 being an end view of the same shown partly in section and partly in elevation, and in the following description like letters and'numerals of reference designate like parts.

Referring to the drawings a a are a pair of cheek disks or wheels mounted on an axle a. Near the peripheries of these disks and in suitable bearings therein provided is mounted a series of type-plate-carrying-cyh inders 0 each of which cylinders is shown as having ten eants thereon. Each cylinder 0 may be formed with gudgeon axles c thereon which rest in the peripheral bearings of the disks or aforesaid. Each cant of each cylinder may have a brass plate 2 screwed to it to which plate the rubber type plate or electro 3 is secured by cement of a suitable nature or by screws .or otherwise or the type plate may be secured direct to the cylinder without the intervening plate 2. Each type plate 3 will have on it a name and address. It will be observed that one gudgeon axle c of each cylinder c is extended past the cheek-wheel a to carry a tumbler wheel 4. It will also be obsenved that the axle carrying the wheels a is mounted on an external frame casting 5 and that a circular flange 5 is provided on this casting on or against which flange the tumblers 4 in their revolutions are designed to Work or slide. ference of this flange there is formed a slight dip or depression D into which a stud S is screwed so'that the head of the stud shall pr0 ject somewhat above the ordinary level of the flange surface. This stud-head has to perform the'operation of turning each typeplate-carrying-cylinder one tenth of a revolution as each cylinder in its revolution with the wheel a passes the stud. This motion is efiected by the ends of the grooves G in the tumblers 4. coming successively into contact with the stud-head aforesaid as the wheel a is revolved and the depression D aforesaid is made of sufficient length .to allow clearance for the cants on the tumblers to turn the required tenth of a revolution. The cants on the tumblers 4 simply slide on the flange 5 while the vwheel a is revolving thus preventing the. cylinders c from turning, but as soon as a groove G in a tumbler comes against the stud head that tumbler is then turned to the extent of .one cant or one, tenth of a revolu tion and as the tumblers are fixed on the extended axles of the cylinders cit follows that as each cylinder passes the stud S it must be also turned one tenth of a revolution.

The mechanismfor turning the disk wheels or consists of a wheel-rack R cast on one of the cheeks of the wheel. A pawl L (worked from-a rocking bar Lmounted on an axle A which is operated or rocked by treadle levers A) gears with the teeth of the wheel-rack R to push round the wheels a a and from the opposite end of the rocking bar. L a rod 0' leads up to a pawl L which acting synchronously with lever L insures the wheel-rack B being turned at each stroke of the treadle exactly the required twenty-fifth of a revolution and no more.

R is a spring for keeping pawl L in gear with the teeth of the wheel-rack and P is a catch-pawl to prevent any back motion of the wheels or disks a a.-

Pivoted at an intermediate point on the le- At a point in the circum-' end of a short lever G mounted on an axle 6 working in a bearing secured to the lid N of the main framing orcasing of the apparatus. On the same axle (3 is also mounted a curved rod 1' terminating in a flange r to which an india rubber or other equivalent pressure pad r is secured in any convenient manner.

In the lid N and at its central point a light steel resilient plate M is secured of a convex form, the convexity being opposed to the pad 0' and a slit is cut in the plate M correspondin g in size to the dimensions of the pad r and the area of the plate or stereo containing the name and address.

H is a receptacle for containing an inking sponge or pad and its lower surface is arranged so that as each type-plate-carrying cylinder in its revolution with the wheels a passes the inking pad, the type on the cant.

exposed to the pad become smeared with ink preparatory to passing under the pressure pad W.

The treadle levers A need not necessarily be arranged on both sides of the machine as a double treadle to be worked by both the heel and toe might be arranged on one side only, and if necessary or desirable the pressure of the foot may beused to effect only one motion or direction of the treadle the return motion or stroke of the treadle being effected by the reaction of a spring which may havebeen compressed or extended as the case may be during a former motion of the treadle. The whole machine maybe constructed in very thin metal and theltype cylinders may be cast hollow to preserve lightness.

The capability of the machine above described with twenty-five type cylinders each cylinder having ten cants and each cant car-l rying a separate name and address is obviously to address two hundred and fifty sep-.

arate envelopes with separate addresses at ten revolutions of the disk-wheels and the operation of the machine is as follows:

The operator sits at one end of the machine;

with his feet on the treadles, where two of these are employed, as shown in the draw.

ings. Both his hands are then freeto manipulate the envelopes at theaddressing point. Having placed an envelope over the slit in the plate M he operates one treadle with his foot. Then through the medium of axle A, rocking bar L andpawl L, wheel rack R is turned one twenty-fifth of a revolution,

pawls L and P checking the exact extent of 1 this motion. At the same time a type-cylinder is of course brought round so as to come under the slit in plateM with its type freshly ink-smeared by having been recentlyrubbed against the inking pad at H while it was passing this point. The same motion of the treadle will have also simultaneously lifted rod a through its connection by lever dandrodr The machine will. now be. in position for mechanically addressing an:

to rocking bar L.

envelope. The operator may then depress the treadle in the reverse direction which has the effect of bringing down the pressure pad 1' on the envelope and by slightly depressing the resilient plate M the envelope is pressed against the ink-besmeared type on the cant presented at the opening in the plate M. The envelope thus receives its address. The same motion of 'the treadle will have synchronously drawn back pawl L into a position ready to again push round the wheel-rack and disk-wheels when the treadle is again operated as at first. It will be observed that whilepawl L is thus making its backstroke, pawl L has entered the rack teeth to prevent any further forward motion of the rack while pawl P is acting in like manner to prevent any retrograde motion. Immediately after a the envelope has been addressed the operator will again depress histreadle which will cause @the parts to re-assume the positions herein- ?before described but it will be seen that im- =mediate1y the pressure pad r is raised from ethe envelope, the resilience of the convex :plate M lifts the envelope just clear of the cant on the type-plate-carrying-cylinden and this is very necessary or otherwise the revoilution of the disk wheels would cause the address to be smudged or spoiled. For this puryposethe relative motions of the pawl L and rod r operating rod r are timed as to their actions to insure that the pad r 1 shall rise :from the envelope beforepawl L acts on the wheel-rack to turn the disks and type-platecarryingcylinders. In this manner therefore is each addressingperformed and after one ;revolution of the disk-wheels twenty-five en- =velopes will have been addressed but before :any one cylinder returns to the addressing ;point it is clear that it must be turned in order to present a new cant and address to the spressure pad. This is eflfected as above described by the contact of the groove Gin each i tumbler of each cylinder coming successively :against thestud head S projecting from the depression D in the circular flange 5". Each cylinder isthus turned one tenth of a revolution just prior to being inked at the pad H "which operation is justprior to that inked surface being used for addressing.

In the machine described after ten com- ;plete revolutions ofrthe disk-wheels two hun dred and fifty envelopes will have been addressed and in like manner the machine could be enlarged or reduced insize to operate on :a larger or smaller number of envelopes or other papers.

What I. claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LetterslPatent, is*

1. The improved machinery for addressing ienvelopes circulars and papers consisting in 1 the combination with a pair of mounted cheek disks: or wheels having canted type-plate-can trying-cylinders arranged in peripheralbear- -ings therein-between of a wheel rack and .treadlei actuated pawlL and lover r and check gpawlslL? and P" for revolving the cheek-disks in equal circumferential units,itreadle-actua crank 6 stamping bar r and pad 7', circular flange 5 on casing having arecess D and stop-stud S therein against which the ends of grooves G in tumblers 4 successively abut so as to partially revolve them and the typeplate-carrying cylinders at each complete revolution of the cheek-disks, and inking pad.

for smearing the cants with ink just prior to their coming under the stamping lever these several parts and motions thereof being arranged and combined to act together substan-,

opes during each cessation of rotation of cheek-disks consisting of treadle-actuated lever r operating through crank 6 bent arm r and pad r the resilient non-smudging plate M, and means for smearing the cants successively with ink prior to their arrival under the stamping or pressure pad consisting of the receptacle H having its lower surface so arranged with anink-pad that each cant in passing same must become smeared with ink, all these several parts with their several motions being arranged and combined to cooperate together, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 40 a two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. CLARK. 

